So Gong Dong
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner, Late Night
- Alcohol: Full Bar
13 Reviews for So Gong Dong
3.5 stars.
This place really suffers from poor location because the're on the 2nd floor of a tiny shopping market complex. I would never have known this place existed unless someone brought me here for dinner.
Their tofu soup (soon dubu) was as excellent as advertised and their kalbi was about as good as any standard Korean restaurant.
Their an-chan (soft inner part of rib) was not as tender or tasty as found most places though.
It's hasn't been the same for me since they moved from their Kapiolani location to McCully shopping center. At their old location I was a big fan of their spicy chicken, king kalbi and of course soondubu. At this new location everything seems to be mediocre. Others must feel the same way since I discovered they were for sale on loopnet.
We both ordered the "original" beef and pork soondubu, "spicy". The soondubu was very good, but the "spicy" was not (not even a mild in my book), hence 4 stars and not 5. Service is good.
BEST Soondubu!
Last night I went to their new (new to me) McCully location with my girlfriend and had a great time.
Their Soondubu is awesome.
I love the Kimchi Pork.
We also shared a plate of BBQ chicken. Large portions.
Will come back again to try their Korean BBQ beef.
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Compares favorably even to LA Koreatown standards for tofu jigeh. Perfect for a chilly, rainy Honolulu afternoon. I always thought the owner is kind and friendly, and the staff try very hard.
My boyfriend and I gave this place a try because we had an Entertainment Book coupon for it and I was getting grumpy from hunger, craving soup, and did not want to cook.
Boy did we luck out! Order the king kalbi here. Yeah, it costs $18.95 as opposed to $9.95 for regular run-of-the-mill kalbi, but my boyfriend said it was the best marbled, most tender, least gristly, tastiest kalbi he'd ever had. And he's really, really picky.
I had the kalbi shortrib soup for $11.95. I think its called shul lung tang. It's a broth made from boiling yummy beef bones (with HUGE chunks of meat attached to it) with daikon and green onions, and I'd been looking for it for years. My mom used to make me this soup when I was little, and while it sounds plain, it is very, very tasty. Especially after you put rice in it and about ten teaspoonfuls of chili paste--yum yum! I had trouble eating it and looking ladylike, though, since I ended up just grabbing the bones with my hands and ripping pieces of the meat off with my teeth like a caveman. The prissy-looking girl sitting at the booth across from me was staring at me in horror. I tried baring my teeth at her, but she didn't go away.
I also had the dol sot bi bim bap, which was quite delicious. Next time, I'll try the soon do bu. Service here is very polite at the door, but gets really gruff and hurried once you sit down.
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We've followed Sogongdong from its humble days as a hole-in-the-wall on Makaloa St. across from the old Tower Records. Then it moved to what is now Nordstrom, then it got kicked out and moved to McCully Shopping Center. My opinion - it's still a great place for "soon-do-bu chigae," but the food used to be better before it went big-time.
Food: We always order the same food, cuz a few times when we tried new stuff it wasn't so good. So....hubby always gets original soon-do-bu and king kalbi. I always get kim chi soon-do-bu. We ask for it extra spicy (you can also order the chigae medium or mild, but seriously it all looks the same). The chigae is thick, hearty, and full of tofu. It comes w/ a raw egg that you can drop inside to make your chigae even thicker! Sometimes we order the seafood pancake, dok-poki (spicy mochi stir-fry), omelette rice, and mandoo soup. Don't ever order the chor-myun (really chewy spicy noodles), I did once and it sucked! As w/ all korean restaurants, you can ask for refills of all the side dishes. Hubby loves the fermented jalapenos & onions. So much so that he's convinced my korean mom to make it for him at home. Other side dishes are so-so.
Service: look....it's a korean restaurant. it is what is is. just like a chinese restaurant, you'll get good food, but no friendly service. but if you know that going in...you'll be fine. but just like all other restaurants, if you go enough, and they recognize you, you'll get a smile here and there. the owners' sons, who sometimes work there are friendly, as are most of the wait staff. but the owner/wife is not so much. but again...who cares?!
Ambience: c'mon.....
Parking: it's in McCully Shopping Center. nuff said. good luck. don't take a tall/wide car.
Just cuz: for some odd reason, the younger son (i think) has old Jordan shoes for display/sale in the front counter. weird. Also, lots of Japanese tourists go here b/c the restaurant is advertised in the tourist mags. Why should you care? Cuz if you don't like Japanese tourists - beware. Finally - if you're hungover, this is the place for you. A hot pot of chigae will nourish you're dehydrated soul.
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OK! I am speechless!!!
I came here with Ryoko and other yelpers who have not yelped about this place yet...BUT I am speechless!
Soondubu is sooooo good. I have not had any good soondubu since back in 98 or 99! And it was in this mom and pop joint in schaumburg ILLINOIS!!!!! If I could I would eat it every single day!!! SO TASTY!!!!!!!
Service is great but I think it would even be better if you could speak korean! I shall learn!!!
Parking. Can be a challenge since you are in McCully Shopping center where the stalls are narrow!
Atmosphere. I actually did not smell like smoke! You can grill your own food here! Well lit!
THIS IS A MUST!!!!
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McCully shopping center has the weirdest-named restaurants: Fook Yuen, Phuket Thai, & So Gong Dong. (Dong So Long...?) Did I miss any?
I've eaten here 3 or 4 times. This place seems different than other korean places because they have "Soondubu Tofu Soup" - tofu soup with toppings of your choice. I like the original (beef & pork) and the mushroom (have a big clump of enoki). I do not recommend the sausage tofu soup because it's vienna sausage slices; ew. Not terrible, but I don't want to voluntarily eat vienna sausage. The soup is spicy, and is served with a whole raw egg for you to crack into the hot pot if you like. I scramble it, then pour in only half.
I like the mandoo here, though it's not the best ever. Same goes for the kalbi, meat jun and bulgogi.
The 5 or 6 small plates of veggies (namul, kim chee, etc.) are pretty good. Last time I was at So Gong Dong they replentished the kim chee for free. YUM! I like my kim chee spicier, though.
The take-out menu says "Free Delivery Minimum 2 Orders within 2 miles". Another number they listed to call is (808) 947-4536.
I saw they serve monkfish here. Somebody try it and let me know how it is!
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I love So Gong Dong! Their Soondubu, in my opinion, is the best!
I've been to many other korean restaurants & tried their Soondubu, Some are good, Some ok, it just doesn't beat So Gong Dong!
The soup is Spicy & flavorful, the tofu is oh so soft... ~drool~
*A word of advice, get there early if you're driving, McCully shopping center parking can seriously SUCK!
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I was searching online for a HK-style dessert cafe in Honolulu, but instead came across reviews for this restaurant...I know super random.
I've been craving Korean food lately, so I dragged A and J here to check it out. And YAY I found a tofu soup restaurant I like on this island! I ordered the original beef/pork tofu soup ($7.50) and it was delish! Though the bowl wasn't as large as the ones served in LA, it was the perfect size for me.
Minus 1 star because it took over 30 minutes to get our food, we get grumpy when we're hungry. =P They did apologize for the delay due to being super busy. Other than that everything was great, I will definitely be back!
I haven't tried So Gong Dong's soon tofu, but I really hope it's the real kind. I can't stand the ones they pass off as tofu soup at Yummy's or other fast food Korean places. I'm used to those soon tofu houses like BCD in Koreatown in L.A. and I would love to see it out here. I can't wait to try.
I LOVE my korean tofu soup (Soondubu)!! So Gong Dong used to make one of the best in Hawaii. However, ever since they moved to McCully Shopping Center, the quality/taste level went down for me. I used to frequent their old location at least once a week, which was in this old building right next to Ala Moana. It's still pretty good compared to a lot of other places and in a convenient place (you also have to check out Coffee or Tea which is also at McCully Shopping Center--the BEST Pearl Milk Tea ever!!!).
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